There will be four editions of Windows 8, but you’ll only care about 3 of them

When Microsoft announced in 2009 that it would offer six different versions of Windows 7, the company caught more than a little flack. While only four of those wound up being relevant in major markets once the operating system went on sale, the initial mix was more than a little confusing.

Now, Microsoft has lifted the veil on the various flavors of Windows 8, which the company is expected to launch later this year. This time, there are four of them, one of which you’ll only be able to get on new hardware. In a post at the Windows Team Blog, Brandon LeBlanc lays out the options.

They break down like this:

• The mainstream consumer version will be called simply Windows 8, the equivalent to Windows 7 Home Premium. It will not, however, include Windows Media Center.

• Windows 8 Pro replaces Windows 7 Professional. It’s aimed at enthusiasts and business users. Windows Media Center will be available for this edition as an “economical” add-on. In other words, if you want to use your Windows PC as a DVR, you’re going pay extra

• Microsoft is building a version of Windows 8 that will run on tablets that use ARM-based processors. It will be called Windows RT, which stands for “real-time” (not retweet). You won’t be able to buy a standalone copy of this edition – it will only be available on new computer and tablets that have an ARM chip. It will also come bundled with “touch-optimized desktop versions of the new Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote”, andit won’t support legacy desktop Windows programs. So much for that whole “Windows without compromises” thing . . .

• There will be a version of Windows 8 aimed at big enterprise customers, but Microsoft doesn’t give it a specific name in LeBlanc’s blog post.

The Windows Team Blog post has a nifty chart that shows what features are available in which edition, and also shows the various upgrade paths. For example, you can upgrade from Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic and Home Premium to Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro. You can upgrade from Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate to Windows 8 Pro, but not to the standard Windows 8. Got that?

One other interesting thing the chart shows: Windows RT won’t include Windows Media Player, traditionally used to play music and video in the operating system. Presumably there will be some other app used for this, given that tablets are typically considered to be great for media consumption. Maybe a version of Microsoft’s Zune software?

Still left to be announced: Pricing and availability. The current thinking among Microsoft observers is that Windows 8 will be available around October, and I suspect pricing for Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro will mirror that of Windows 7 Home Premium and Professional.

On the surface, this seems to be a simplified approach, but the addition of an add-on pack to get Windows Media Center on Win8 Pro seems like an unofficial fifth version. Why not just throw Windows Media Center into both versions and be done with it?

Dwight Silverman | Techblogger, social media manager

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